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The Vahr Reitter Roadhouse
The Vahr Reitter Roadhouse is actually an immense complex constructed by a Grand Parade of the Broken Kingdom roughly fifty years after the Great War in Exildun. The nominal owner of the establishment is none other than the Truest King himself and he has been known to stay in the complex when passing through the area with his personal army. The event of the Truest King personally contracting out a Grand Parade is considered the major mark of his new style of governance coming into its own. The Var Reitter Roadhouse could easily be called a small castle in its own right, as the grounds sport a sturdy and towering keep with a ring wall. What defies this definition is the utter non-militaristic nature of the other buildings found within the wall. The Vahr Reitter Roadhouse "This place is a haven in this rotten city where honor is scoffed upon and life has a low price. Worry not though, the movers and shakers of the city know that to attempt to breach the walls of this establishment would be to enter a zone of danger. I assure you, one does not simply enter the danger zone." -The Truest King The buildings of the Roadhouse are generally built in a vertical manner, making the complex compact for its rather large size, most of the buildings easily clearing the height of the ring-wall and many passing ten stories in height. The grounds contain craft shops, a pub, a casino, a brothel, a stable, an inn, a boarding house, training grounds, brewery, and more, making the entire affair seem more like a self-contained mini-kingdom showcasing all that life has to offer in the Broken Kingdom. The largest of these non-military buildings is the Roadhouse itself. It is generally common knowledge that as a part of construction specialists from the Circle were hired to help incorporate as many creature comforts and conveniences as possible into structures. The Gatehouse The Gatehouse refers to the squat tower which the only entry to the complex passes through. The Gatehouse and wall are constantly manned and heavily guarded. The guards are outfitted in imitation of the Cathedral guards, their greatbows, medium armor, stout shields, and heavy-bladed swords making them both highly effective and able to operate in the warm conditions of the region. Situated near the Keep, visitors to the complex have convenient access once past the Gatehouse to the Vahr Reitter money-changers who exchange all precious metal coinage for King's Cubes, the currency of the Broken Kingdom which is required for any and all purchases not made via barter inside the complex. The militarily minded would note that this proximity makes it impossible to enter through the gate without entering a kill-zone courtyard with arrow slits overlooking the area from the Gatehouse, the Keep, and interior side of the walls. The Keep Slightly larger than the typical border keep of the Broken Kingdom, this structure does nothing to hide its nature as a military stronghold. Designed inside and out to repel assaults and attempts at infiltration, the Keep houses the garrison force of the Roadhouse and offers safety and protection to those who work the establishment. The Truest King keeps private chambers somewhere within the Keep for his own visits, otherwise the bulk of the superstructure is devoted to defensive workings and barracks. As per standard Broken Kingdom construction, the majority of the Keep extends underground and the exact depth of the excavation has been kept secret. The walls of surrounding the complex stand at a stout thirty feet high, with the three large mainstays of the Vahr Reitter Roadhouse rising another hundred feet above the walls. The keep itself towers a proud seventeen stories and offers a spectacular view of the surrounding region. The Pub and Eatery The first floor is an immense pub and eatery, with multiple bars, stages, dance-floors, a gigantic kitchen, and seating which consists of both private tables and the immensely long "common" tables. The capacity of the pub and eatery is estimated to be around five hundred and the peace is kept by a number of armored bouncers. The crowning jewel of this establishment however, are the large bay windows which wrap around most of the structure and the complex pulley-and-belt system built into the ceiling which powers an incredible collection of fans. The combination mixed with the stone masonry keeps the interior pleasantly cool despite the region's typical heat. Curious individuals exploring the fan-system will find it is powered by one of the Kingdom's famous heavy draft horses plodding stoically inside an immense wheel behind the structure. There are a number of other such wheels flanking the fan system one, and the two other thirteen-story buildings in the complex likewise have multiple horse-wheels behind them. The Gambling Hall The second floor of the Roadhouse is a large gaming hall. Here all manner of gambling takes place on games of chance. A drink token can be purchased on entry for the price of ten ales, which can be used for unlimited refreshments until one returns to the pub. Not that there is any need to, as food orders are readily brought up to gamblers. The Gambling Hall also operates the prize-fighting arena and racetrack and it is here that wagers can be placed on upcoming contests and new contestants registered for participation. Those who win their fortunes in the Gambling Hall can choose to collect their winnings in King's Cubes, or for a 25% fee can have their winnings converted into the standard Gram-coin currency of the Family Hearth. The Hall itself enjoys a number of burlesque shows put on by the brothel workers from the next floor above, and it is not uncommon for the ladies of the night to prowl either the Hall or the pub to ply their trade. The Inn and Brothel The third floor through thirteenth floor consists of the inn. Rooms range from simple sleeping chambers to large apartment suites with private baths on the top floor. The roof of the Roadhouse sports a number of large water towers, and one of the famed novelties of staying in the Roadhouse is the experience of indoor plumbing and a heated pool. While the exact nature of how this is accomplished is kept hidden from outsiders, it is rumored that the technology is copied from the Cathedral. Most accept that the luxury accommodations can be attributed to the immense horses plodding away night-and-day on their wheels behind the Roadhouse. The inn is serviced by a brothel and intimate company can be rented along with any of the rooms. Those who purchase the additional services or larger rooms are given a drinking token for the Gambling Hall free of charge. The House of Crafts The second thirteen-story building in the complex houses a large variety of workshops staffed by master craftsmen of the Broken Kingdom. While the exact crafts offered varies as craftsmen decide to return to the Kingdom or are joined by others, the most common trades can always be found present in the House of Crafts. The master craftsmen are generally housed in the most generous of the apartments available in the third massive building. The House of Living The third thirteen-story building is the living accommodations for the workers in the Vahr Reitter complex. The living conditions are nominally luxurious compared to most places in the world. Divided up into apartments of different sizes to accommodate bachelors and families alike, this complex enjoys all the boons of the Roadhouse's inn, without the price tag that is normally attached. All workers in the complex are housed free of charge as part of their compensation for working outside of the Broken Kingdom. The Chapel of the Truest King A small temple devoted to the spread of the religion and worship of the Truest King. The clerics here offer lessons on the faith of the Broken Kingdom to those who come and preach the Gospel of Vahr Reitter. The curious visitor would note that aside from the commandment that each individual should pursue excellence at something in their life, the faith is very unobtrusive particularly when compared to the other religions of the world. The Equine House The stables of the Vahr Reitter are immense. The multistory buildings sport ramps along their outer walls for reaching the upper levels with horses in tow. While generally the largest draft horses are kept on the bottom floor, space is also made there for the horses of guests in the Roadhouse, as few animals not raised within the Kingdom are use to being stabled above ground-floor. Perpetually under heavy guard, the Equine House keeps a large number of the Broken Kingdom's finest geldings of each breed for sale. Not a single stallion or mare is kept in the stable to keep the chance of one being abducted or a stallion being milked for his seed at absolute zero. The horses sold at the House are often showcased in the horse races run by the Gambling Hall, the price of winning horses naturally going up. The Water House This unique warehouse is fueled by the largest number of horse-wheels despite being the smallest building to have them. The Water House is home to the gigantic pump and cistern which supplies the entire Vahr Reitter Roadhouse with its water, and its the deep cistern that provides the cumulative water pressure to facilitate the indoor plumbing, of the Keep, as putting water towers atop it would compromise the defensive structure. The Shit House This smallish structure lies mostly below ground level and is near the far back wall of the facility. True to its name, the shit house is responsible for maintaining the outward flow of wastewater and horse droppings from the stables. Manure which cannot be sold to outlying farms is deposited into the chambers of the shit house to be ground into the liquid slurry and pumped into downhill flowing pipes to join the rest of Exildun's sewage. Warehouses The balance of the structures in the Vahr Reitter are made up of warehouses where the food stocks, goods, and raw materials needed for the function of the complex are stored. Category:Broken Kingdom Category:Culture